,:«^*@&&&# #&&&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,,,,:«^@@# #@@^«:,,,,
,:«^@&#### ####&@^«:,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### , , , ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### , , , , , , ###&@*^«:,
,,,,,,««*& : : : : : : : : &*««,,,,,,
,:«^*@&### « « « « « « « « « « « ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@@@@& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &@@@@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,,,:^**@&& just off the coast to the baltic sea &&@**^:,,,
,,,,,:^*@& there's a freshwater pond, secluded &@*^:,,,,,
,:«^*@&### among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ###&@*^«:,
,,,,,«*@&# surrounding plains, a ninety degree #&@*«,,,,,
,:«^*@&### drop down, down, to the midnight-black ###&@*^«:,
,:::«^***& water. &***^«:::,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### ««««********«««« ###&@*^«:,
,,,,,«^^@# ««** **«« #@^^«,,,,,
,:«^*@&### «««««** fairies live here. **««««« ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&&&# ««** **«« #&&&@*^«:,
,,::::^**& ««««********«««« &**^::::,,
,:«^*@&&&& &&&&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### they speak to the sloane, caress it, ###&@*^«:,
,:«^**@@@# urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with #@@@**^«:,
,:«^*@&### longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### to stay just below the grass, so that ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### the animals what come to drink the ###&@*^«:,
,,,,«**&&# water cannot see it before it draws #&&**«,,,,
,:«*@&#### their blood. closer to the pond, the ####&@*«:,
,,,,::^^*& sloane can grow taller, being able to &*^^::,,,,
,:«^*@&### hide also in the juniper. ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,::«^^*&&& the fairies will beckon the animals to &&&*^^«::,
,,,««***&# push forward, tell them that they're #&***««,,,
,,,,,,«^@# almost at the water, that they may #@^«,,,,,,
,,,««««*&& drink soon. and they will tug on the &&*««««,,,
,:«^*&#### sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ####&*^«:,
,:«^*@&### deep. when they finally find the path ###&@*^«:,
,:«^***&&& down between the rocks, away from the &&&***^«:,
,:««^^^@&& bushwork and into the cleft, they are &&@^^^««:,
,,,,,:«*&# bleeding from a thousand wounds. as #&*«:,,,,,
,,,,:^*&&# they drink from the dark water, it is #&&*^:,,,,
,:«^*@&### in turn drinking the animals blood. ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### the circle is complete, the contract ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### carried out; the animal is abandoned to ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### find its own way back. the bushes roots ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ###&@*^«:,
,,,,:««**& dance in the sunbeams. &**««:,,,,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###&@*^«:,
,:«^*@&### « « « « « « « « « « « ###&@*^«:,
,:«*@&#### : : : : : : : : ####&@*«:,
,:«^*@&### , , , , , , ###&@*^«:,
,,,,:«««*& , , , &*«««:,,,,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,,,,«^^@@# #@@^^«,,,,
,:«^*@&### ###&@*^«:,
,,,:««^@&# #&@^««:,,,
,:«^*@@&&& &&&@@*^«:,